1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a body/motion signal receiving and display device, and more particularly to a wristwatch-typed pedometer with wireless heartbeat signal receiving device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are variety of body building devices and exercisers developed for people who live busily in the modern commercial society and require appropriate exercises. For a person to accurately control a moderate quantity of exercise and monitor personal physical condition, various types of body/motion signal sensing devices have been researched and developed.
Most conventional body signal sensing devices or motion signal sensing devices are designed to provide one single detecting and sensing function. That is, each type of conventional sensing device is able to detect and sense only one type of signal at a time. For example, there are a variety of heartbeat sensing devices commercially available. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,474, a telemetric transmitter unit is disclosed. The transmitter electronics is coupled to each electrode by means of a conductive plastic layer for transmission of signal. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,753, a heartbeat rate indicator in form of wristwatch is disclosed. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,180 describes a device for measuring heartbeat rate that includes a wrist strap with skin contact electrodes and a coil receiver for receiving telemetrically transmitted heartbeat signals either from a wireless receiver or from the skin contact electrodes.
Moreover, there are many types of pedometers in the market. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,371,945 and 5,164,967 disclose a pedometer for calculating a distance which a user walks, jogs or runs by electronically measuring the length of each stride taken by the use.
All of the aforesaid conventional body signal sensing devices and motion signal sensing devices are designed to have only one detecting and sensing function. That is, in practical use of these conventional sensing devices, they can detect and display only one type of signal. Body signal, for example heart beat rate, if it is evaluated together with the exercise intensity, type or exercise parameter, it is very useful and beneficial for athletes and sports fans. In fact, most of the products in market does not match the requirement above in practical way.
Some producers have devoted to develop a few body signal sensing devices with multiple functions. Take for an example. U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,042 discloses a fitness monitoring device that includes an electronic pedometer which responds to a user""s body motion at each step and a wireless heart rate monitor which is wirelessly coupled to the electronic pedometer. The pedometer is fitted to the user""s waist and the wireless heart rate monitor is fitted to the user""s chest. The heartbeat signal is transmitted wirelessly to and is displayed on the pedometer. Practically, it is not easy and inconvenient for the user to view the data displayed on the pedometer.
Also, an electronic combined pulse meter and pedometer is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,725, in which a single sensor is used for determining the walking pace and pulse rate, and the data are displayed on the pedometer. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,789, a new pedometer with game mode is disclosed, which can be used as a game by a child to get some exercise such as walking and/or running without reluctance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,480 teaches a wireless inline skate or skate board pulse watch which is able to receive the user""s body motion signal and heart rate pulse signal. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,608 describes a pedometer which comprises a step counter and a heart rate monitor. The pedometer comprises a wireless receiver for receiving the pace signal and heart rate signal.
Although different pedometers are developed to enhance the functions of the pedometers, it is found that they possess some drawbacks that make it very inconvenience for use.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a wristwatch-typed pedometer with wireless heartbeat signal receiving device for receiving and displaying body signal and motion signal of a user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wristwatch-typed pedometer with wireless heartbeat signal receiving device. The wristwatch-typed pedometer comprises a wireless heartbeat detector for detecting a heartbeat of a user and transmitting a heartbeat signal wirelessly and a pace signal sensor for detecting and counting an accumulated number of paces taken by the user.
To achieve the above and other objects, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided with a wristwatch-typed pedometer with wireless heartbeat signal receiving device. The wristwatch-typed pedometer comprises a watch casing with a watch band for fitting to a user""s wrist, a wireless heartbeat detector for detecting a heartbeat of the user and generating and transmitting a heartbeat signal wirelessly, and a pace signal sensor which is disposed in the watch casing for detecting an accumulated paces of the user and generating a pace signal. When a user puts on the wristwatch-typed pedometer and performs exercise, the heartbeat signal from the heartbeat detector is received by a wireless heartbeat receiving circuit of a control circuit and transmitted to a data processing unit. Moreover, the pace signal from the pace signal sensor is transmitted to the data processing unit via a pace signal receiving circuit of the control circuit. The data processing unit calculates and processes, and transmits the heartbeat signal and pace signal to a display unit for displaying.
Preferably, the wristwatch-typed pedometer further comprises a speed calculation table memory which stores a reference table of stride length against pace per second. When the user performs an exercise, the data processing unit receives the pace signal from the pace signal sensor and calculates a speed of the user in step per second. Based on the speed of the user, the data processing unit then checks the reference table and obtains a corresponding stride length, and thereby calculates an accumulated walking distance and a speed of the user in length per unit time. Furthermore, the wristwatch-typed pedometer also comprises a calorie burned table memory which stores a personal data of the user including sex and weight, a calorie consumption database for various exercises and a calorie consumption database at different intensities. Thereby, the data processing unit calculates the calorie consumption of the user at exercise.